Children in need of ADHD assessments in Sheffield face EIGHT YEARS on waiting list
“I’ve been fighting for my son it seems since forever”
Children in need of an assessment for ADHD now face a waiting list of over eight years.
Pupils in Sheffield who could be helped with a diagnosis for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) may now have to wait so long they aren’t even in school by the time they get help.
It comes as demand for neurodevelopmental services at Sheffield Children’s Hospital has more than tripled since 2019.
Children and young people being assessed today have typically been waiting around three years for an autism assessment and four years for an ADHD assessment.
But families wanting to start the process of asking for an assessment for their children today through the NHS are being told it could be eight years before they are seen.
Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust completed approximately 1,700 neurodevelopmental assessments in 2025/26, an increase of 20 per cent on the previous year - but, between April 2024 to March 2025, more than 6,300 children remained on a the waiting list.
One Sheffield dad, who asked not to be named, told The Star how he waited for nine years before being offered an assessment for his son after applying when he was aged two - only to be told in July he would now have to wait another eight years.
“I’ve been fighting for my son it seems since forever,” said the dad, who works for the NHS himself.
“He’s going up to comprehensive soon and I’ve been fighting since he was aged two.
“When I finally got through, I said ‘I’ve done everything you’ve asked me to, I need some support’, and I finally got referred to Ryegate [a children’s centre offering short overnight breaks for young people aged 0-19].
“They said it was an eight year wait before my son would be seen.
“By the time he gets any support, he won’t even be in school anymore.
“He had a very supportive primary school but secondary is a very different kettle of fish - it scares me the level of support available for these children.”
The dad says he is now pursuing Right To Choose, a pathway to find a private assessors in partnership with the NHS which typically has wait times of two years.
Frustratingly, the dad revealed how when Right To Choose got in touch in July, they said his GP had failed to update his contact details - which sent his son back down to the bottom of the waiting list.
“We shouldn’t have to fight like this for something that should be a basic need,” the dad said.
He says his son showed signs of ADHD at age two and is susceptible to “exploding” when emotional, but loves sports and physical activities.
“We have been failed so much by the NHS,” he said.
“It seems to be the modern world at the moment, and something needs to change. There is no funding.
“This year, we will have been waiting eight years. There is a risk of no support for his entire school career. I don’t want for him to have to fight for what’s right.”
Wait times for ADHD and autism referrals are detailed on the Sheffield Children’s Hospital website. It reads: “Our current waiting times for Autism and ADHD assessments range from two and a half to in excess of eight years, with those being referred in most recently waiting the longest.
“Please be assured that we see and hear your concerns, and we are sincerely sorry for the impact this delay may have on your child and family.”
In 2025, Ofsted slammed Sheffield’s SEND services for “unacceptable” wait times, stating “too many children” go to secondary schools that can’t support them until they are suspended, excluded, or are educated at home by their families or through costly alternative provision.
In the report, the only named organisations in the partnership are Sheffield City Council and NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, but it also includes Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Trust, Sheffield Parent Carer Forum and Learn Sheffield.
Craig Radford, Chief Operating Officer at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We appreciate that waiting for a neurodevelopmental assessment can be really difficult for children, young people and their families, and we know the impact this can have.
“We know children and young people face long waits before being assessed, and we are working with our partners across the city to implement changes that will reduce this wait, and support children as early as possible.
“Our teams have increased assessment capacity, introduced more efficient ways of working, improved support and communication for families, and strengthened partnership working across health, education, social care and the voluntary sector. We are also working with our commissioners to progress funding for additional assessments.
“While we know there is much more to do, we are encouraged by the progress being made. We remain committed to working with families, partners and commissioners as an urgent priority to improve access to support and provide the best possible care as soon as we can for children and young people."